Field of the Invention
The inventions disclosed and taught herein relate generally to wet and dry vacuum cleaners, and more specifically relate to removable drums associated with wet/dry vacuum cleaners, and the removal of such drums containing debris from a wet/dry vacuum cleaner with little or no dirtying or contamination of the surrounding area.
Description of the Related Art
A number of wet and dry vacuum cleaners, or wet/dry vacs, are known in the art. Typically, these vacuum cleaners suck air, liquid and/or debris through a flexible hose and into a container or drum, where the air then flows through a filter and out of the container, leaving the debris inside the container and/or embedded in the filter. Occasionally, after a period of such use, the container must be emptied and the filter cleaned so as to avoid damage to the efficiency and/or operation of the vacuum cleaner. However, the removal of the filter and/or drum from current wet/dry vacuum appliances may be a tedious and messy task. For instance, many wet/dry vacs require that the vacuum unit, or powerhead, be removed from the container and inverted in order for the filter to be cleaned or replaced. This often results in dirt and debris becoming dislodged from the powerhead or filter and making its way onto the floor or other surroundings, including the user in some cases.
The inventions disclosed and taught herein are directed to vacuum appliance systems having filter assemblies comprising a filter support, wherein the filter support assembly allows for debris to be more easily removed from the vacuum assembly without dislodging the debris from the filter prematurely and/or dirtying the surrounding area.